Matrix stick positioning means



Feb. 26, 1952 w. M. BERRICK MATRIX STICK POSITIONING MEANS Filed May 24,1948 I INVENTOR. W/LL/AM M BEER/CK 6 47/ 1 mull.

Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under theact of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3Claims.

The invention described herein maybe manufactured and used by or for theGovernment of the United States for governmental purposes without thepayment to me of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisionsof the Act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention relates to the printing art but more particularly to aconstruction for securing matrix holders, commonly called sticks in theart, such as are conventionally employed in the casting of type slugs onLudlow type casting machines. These matrix sticks are used for thepurpose of positioning the matrices in relation to the mold in suchmanner that when the molten metal is forced into the mold, the desiredline of printing characters is formed on the slug.

The object of this invention is to insure the proper relation of thestick and the mold when slugs are cast. In the casting of slugs in theconventional 'Way, the vibration of the machine causes the stick to moveout of alignment with the mold, so that as succeeding Slugs are cast,the relative position of the stick and the mold is changed which causesthe characters on the slug to be incorrectly positioned thereon.

Slugs are usually cast at the rate of approximately five per minute andwith the present setup the printing characters on the slugs becomeincreasingly displaced so that approximately the printing characters onevery seventh slug becomes suiiiciently displaced from its correctposition so as to render it useless.

By the use of this invention the matrix stick is automatically returnedto its correct position against the displacing effect of vibration aftereach cast is made, so that the printing characters on the slugs are notdisplaced but are always correctly and uniformly positioned thereon tothe end that a considerable saving of material is effected.

Referring to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of the top of a Ludlow machineshowing the new stick lock in operative locking position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the matrix stick and the new sticklock in operative locking position in full lines and in unlockedposition in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the newstick lock assembly taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the sticklock assembly taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a view partly in plan and partly in 2 horizontal section of apart of the stick lock taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals of references indicate the sam parts throughout theseveral figures.

In mentioning the Ludlow type casting machines, such machines as aredisclosed in the Ludlow Patents Nos. 856,539 and 1,124,293 are referredto.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals,

l indicates the equalizer bar and 2 the matrix stick of a castingmachine, the elements of which form no part of this invention.

3 indicates the matrix stick lock, to which this invention is confined,and by means of which the matrix stick 2 is automatically returned toits correct position after each cast is made. This saves a considerableamount of material as well as the time required to make the necessaryadjustments when casual shifting of the matrix stick has occurred due tothe vibration of the machine necessarily incidental to its operation.

The matrix stick 2 is held in proper vertical position by the eoual zingbar I and the purpose of the matrix stick lock 3 is to hold the matrixstick 2 in proper horizontal position. In present machines, thishorizontal positioning of the matrix stick 2 is attempted purely byfriction, which method is unsatisfactory and inefficient.

The matrix stick lock 3 includes in its assembly a plunger housing 4 anda flat horizontal plate 5 w ich extends from the housing 4 as best shownin Figs. 1 and 5. Within this housing 4 is formed a chamber 6 (Fig. 5)which is threaded at 1 at its outer end and reduced in diameter at 8 atits inner end to form a shoulder 9.

Within this chamber 6 is housed a plunger l0 having formed thereon acollar l I which abuts against the said shoulder 9 and also forms a stopfor a coil spring I2 which surrounds the plunger l0 within the chamber6. A threaded cap l3 for adjusting the tension of the spring I2 actingupon the plunger ll] is threaded into the chamber 6 and bears againstthe outer end of the spring l2. A screw driver slot M (Fig. 1) formed inthe face of the cap- I3 permits rotation of the cap so as to increase ordiminish the spring tension on the plunger it], as will be clearlyapparent from an inspection of the accompanying drawing,

For mounting the matrix stick lock 3 in proper position with relation tothe matrix stick 2 an extension I5 is formed on the machine whichextension is threaded at It (Fig. 3) and provided with a small groove orslot I1 (Fig. 1) extending radially from the threaded bore I6.

The flat plate portion 5 of the matrix stick lock 3 is provided with ahole I8 (Fig. 5) which registers with the threaded bore 5 in theextension l5, and is also provided with a small rib 19 extendingradially from the hole l8, which rib l9 registers with the groove orkeyway slot I! in the extension l5 so as to enter the same when thematrix stick lock 3 has been moved into operative position as shown inFig. 1.

A screw clamp 20 having a threaded portion 2| passes through the openingl8 in the plate portion 5 of the matrix stick lock 3 and threads intothe threaded bore 16 of the extension 15, a washer 22 being interposedbetween the clamp body 20 and the plate portion 5 of the matrix sticklock 3 as best shown in Fig. l. A handle 23 is provided on the clampbody to tighten and loosen the matrix stick lock 3 in and out of itsoperative position as shown in Fig. 1.

In operation, when the matrix stick lock 3 has been swung intoitsoperative position .so that the rib 1,9 enters the groove or slot I! andthe clamp ZUhas'been tightened to hold the stick lock 3 rigidly inposition, the inner end 24 of'the plunger is brought into close contactwith the matrix stickIZ as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, so that in thesuccessive casting operation, the vibrations which normally displace thematrix stick 2 horizontally are neutralized and the matrix stick 2returned to and maintained in its proper horizontal position.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A matrix stick lock for type casting machines which includes apivoted plate member having formed thereon a plunger housing, aresiliently mounted plunger within the plunger housing, a rib on theunderface of the pivoted platemember, a supporting element for the platemember provided with a .slot adapted to receive the said rib to hold theplate (member against movement, and means for clamping the plate memberand its supporting element together, the matrix stick lock beingpositioned adjacent the matrix stick of a type casting machine wherebythe said plunger of the matrix stick lock will engage the matrix stickand resiliently hold the same against casual horizontal movement duringthe normal casting operations of a type casting machine.

2. A matrix stick lock for type casting machines, which includes a platemember having formed thereon a plunger housing, a resiliently mountedplunger within the plunger housing, a

supporting element for the plate member, means for effecting aninterlocking engagement between the plate member and its supportingelement and means for clamping the plate member and its supportingelement together, the matrix stick lock being "positioned adjacent thematrix stick of a type casting machine whereby the said plunger of thematrix stick lock will engage the matrix stick and resiliently hold thesame against casual horizontal movement during the normal castingoperations of a type casting machine.

3. A matrix stick lock for type casting machines, which includes aplunger housing, a resiliently mounted plunger within the plungerhousing, a supporting element for the stick lock, means for effecting aninterlocking engagement between the stick look and its supportingelement and means for clamping the stick lock andits supporting elementtogether, the stick lock being positioned adjacent the matrix stick of atype casting machine whereby the said plunger of the stick lock willresiliently engage the matrix stick and hold the same against casualhorizontal movement during the normal casting operations of a typecasting machine.

WILLIAM M. BERRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,414,707 Pottle May 2, 19021,910,566 Rogers May 23, 1933 2,074,511 Kingsbury Mar. 23, 19372,082,531 Albrecht June 1, 1937 2,505,065 Rank Apr. 25, 1950

